Electric water-heater and steam-generator.



A. P. NICHOLS.

ELECTRIC WATER HEATER AND STEAM GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5, 1911. RENEWED JULY 10, 1913.

1,087,887. Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

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amvmtoz NITED STATES PATENT OFFIGE.

ANDREW P. NICHOLS,

SEATTLE, WASHINGTOR ELECTRIC 'WATERHEATER- AND STEA -GENERATOh.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedFco. 17, 15M 4.

Application filed April 5, 1911, Serial No. 619,174. Renewed July 10, 1913. Serial No. 778,419.

'10 (at whom, it may concern Be it known that l, Anniuiw P. Nionoiis, a citizenof the United States of America, and a. resident of the city of Seattle, in the county of King and State of Vv aSl'iingtOn, have invented certain new and useful 11nprove ncnts in Electric \Vaterlleatrrs and Steam-Generators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices of the above type and has for a. fundamental object to provide a simple, effective and coinpact arrangement of parts through the medium of which a stream of water can be heated with 'apidity to the desired degree, my present apparatus being primarily aoapted for the conversion of the water into steam.

A. further object resides in the provision of a construction at this character including an extended heating surface so arranged that it occupies very little space and provides a channel oi comparatively small cross I sectional area for the water so that the lat l ter {lows the eihrough in av thin sheet. l

()ther objects, will be set forth as my dcl scription progresses and those features of construct 'm. Rl'l'tllltftll'ltlilfi and conihiuu.- tions of parts on which l desire protection are succinctly defined in my annexed claims. l

Referring to the accompanying draw I irgs, wherein like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views; l ig'ure l is a longitudinal section (it my apparatus taken on line l--l oi Fig. 2. Fig. is an end elevation. s viewed from the forward end of the a 'iparatus. the end wall of the casing; and the adjacentinsulat inn sheet or disk being removed. Fig. is a fragmentary end elevation with portions broken away. l ig'. is a fragmentary longitudinal section on large scale taken on line 4 4 o'l Fig. and i .3 is a transverse section of the intake section of the tortuous channel.

Referring to the drawing by numerals 0 reference 1 indicates a casing of any suitable material, provided with the removable covers or end walls 2 and which latter are of any suitable material and preferably l i l i threaded on the opposite end portions of casing 1.

Leading to casing 1 is an inlet pipe 4 for supplying water under pressure thereto. and arranged within the casing in communicat tion with pipe elis a tortuous channel which I may be of any desired length to attord a heating surface of greater or less area for the water. This tortuous channel of casing 1. as now considered. is formed by a plurality of outer and inner conductors 7i and 12 i'espectivcly, the latter being at carbon, the former consisting of tubes of copper, brass or other suitable material, which a re arranged lengthwise of casing 'l and connected at their opposite ends by conduits, as 8, arranged in staggered relation, each intermediate tube being connected at its ends with adjacent tubes on each side thereof. to provide a continuous path for the water, extending between intake pipe 4 and a suitable outlet pipe 6.

(onductors 5 which are preferably provided with cylindrical linings or electrodes 5 of conducting material, as carbon, are suitably scoured in and extend through heads 7 and 7. of conducting material, and ahuttiue lllrdlliltlllg ineu'ibers 10 and ll which extend over the outer faces of vsaid heads 7, T. lleads "I, 7 and insulating numbers 10 and 11 preferably have sun; lit in t'tirl g 1. said heads being insulated from the casing by insulating rings 9.

Conductors or electrodes 12 are fixed to a conducting head l3. insulated from casino; 1 by an insulating ring l land disk 15 and extend through conductors 5, being spaced truth but lying in such proximity to the linings 5 that the water flows thercbetweeu in a thin hollow sheet. The opposite end portions of these. conductors or electrodes ll'are engaged in suitable seats formed in member 10. the seats for the two outer electrodes. whirl. sistinp; of apertures comn'iunicat-ing with outlet pipe (3 and with a conduit 2, respectively, said conduit 2' which is formed in end wall 2. extending into communication with inlet pipe 4 and provided with a suitable controlling valve 16.

Valve 16 is provided on its stem with a pinion 17 meshingwith a similar gear 18, provided on the switch stem 19, of a suitable switch inclosed in a casing 20, supported on the casing end wall 2.

Reference numerals 21 and 22 indicate binding posts for the heads 7 and 13 respectively. with which the wires 23, 23, of the electrical circuit controlled by the switch in casing: 20 are connected, the several sets of opposite electrodes being electrically connected in multiple.

In operation, through manipulation of valve 16 to admit water to casing 1, the

electrical switch in casing 20 is operated to its closed position. The water enters the first conductor 5 through the apertures 12' of the inclosed electrode '12, then travels through the remaining conductors 5 or sections of the tortuous channel or passage, forming a conductor between the adjacent inner and outer electrodes of a pair when passing over their conduct-ing surfaces, and finally discharging. from the apertured electrode 12 of the last conductor 5, of the circulatory channel, into out t pipe 6 for conducting the hot water or steam to the de sired point, as for example, to difi'erent portions of a building or room.

Reference numeral 24 indicates screw bolts clamping head 7 to end wall 12, these passing through openings 24', of the head, provided with bushings of insulating material, and reference numeral 25 indicates screw bolts for clamping heads 7 and 13 together and insulated from said head 13, as more clearly shown in Fig. 4.

Various changes can be made in the structural parts and arrangements thereof without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined in my annexed claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States of America, is:

' 1. In a water heater, the combination of spaced heads of conductin material a plurality of tubular electro es connected in multiple with said heads, said heads being formed with passages in staggered relation whereby the said tubular electrodes are all connected each to each for the continuous passage of water therethrough, an electrode within each of the first mentioned electrodes and spaced therefrom comprising a second set of electrodes, and means to connect said second set of electrodes in multiple.

2. In apparatus of the character dethrough one of said heads, two of said last named electrodes being apertured, one of said two electrodes being connected with said intake passage of the casing and the other with the outlet of the casin and a third head of conducting materia electrically connected with the electrodes of the last named series and insulated from said first named heads.

3. In apparatus of the character described, a casing provided with intake and outlet passages, spaced heads'of conducting material, hollow electrodes electrically connected with said heads, said heads being formed with passages connecting said electrodes to provide a. continuous channel for the fluid, other electrodes extending through said first named electrodes in spaced relation thereto and through one of said heads,

a third head electrically connected with said last named electrodes, two of said last named electrodes being apertured and each connected with a respective passage of said casing, a valve for controlling the intake passage of said casing, a switch, means electrically connecting said third head and one of said first named heads with said switch, and

means connecting said switch and valve for simultaneous operation.

Signed at Seattle, Washington this 29 day of March 1911.

ANDREW P. NICHOLS. 

